Women's Basketball

Women's Hoops Star Gets Invite

Ruth Riley invited to USA National Team trials.

May 24, 1998

NOTRE DAME, Ind. ----- Notre Dame center Ruth Riley (Roann, Ind.) is one of 33 current and former collegiate basketball players who has been invited to participate in the 1998 USA Basketball Women's National Team Trials June 22-26 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

From the 33 players attending the camp, 12 will be selected for the 1998 USA Basketball Women's R. William Jones Cup Team and 12 players will be selected for the USA Basketball's 1998 Women's Select Team.

Riley is one of six members from the Basketball Times' 1998 All-Freshman Team will attend the trials. The other five in attendance will be National Freshman of the Year Tamicka Catchings from the University of Tennessee; guard Natasha Pointer from Rutgers University; guard Semecka Randall from the University of Tennessee; Tynesha Miller, a guard from North Carolina State; and guard Jackie Stiles from the University of Southwest Missouri State.

Riley, who along with Pointer was named to the BIG EAST Conference All-Rookie Team, was the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder averaging 11.5 ppg. and 7.3 rpg., and led the Irish with 71 blocked shots. She played in all 32 games in leading Notre Dame into the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season and helping the Irish compile a 22-10 record.

Riley was the leading scorer for the Irish in all three of their NCAA tournament games as she averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds.

She earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors three consecutive weeks during the month of January and registered nine double-doubles during the season and became the first Notre Dame women's basketball to record double figures in both scoring and rebounding in five consecutive outings.

Riley scored in double figures in 19 games during the 1997-98 campaign and netted 20-plus points in five contests.

In recent years, Notre Dame has had two other players invited to Women's National Team Trials -- all-time leading scorer Beth Morgan ('97) and second all-time leading scorer and rebounder Katryna Gaither ('97). Morgan was named to the U.S. Select Team in 1996 and was a member of the squad which captured the gold medal at the '97 World University Games. Morgan and Gaither were teammates on the World Championship Qualifying Team which captured the silver medal at the World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Brazil.